ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS POLICY
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS POLICY
1.0 Definitions
1.1 The following words and expressions shall have the meaning hereby assigned to them:
1.1.1 Academic Credentials: A certification of Qualifications issued by a post-secondary institution, recognized by the State of Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education, indicating that an individual successfully completed a particular course of study at a specified degree level (e.g., Diplomas, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate degree, or other Terminal degree).
1.1.2 Academic Members: Faculty Members and Instructional Members.
1.1.3 Employment Candidate: An applicant who applies for a job with the University.
1.1.4 Faculty Members: Members of the Teaching and/or Research staff, whether on part-time or full-time contracts, holding the following ranks: Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Senior Lecturer/Senior Technical Instructor, or Lecturer/Technical Instructor.
1.1.5 Instructional Members: Members of the Teaching staff, whether on part-time or full-time contracts, holding the following titles: Assistant Lecturer/or Workshop/Lab/Clinical Instructor, Assistant Technical Instructor, Trades Technical Instructor, or Teaching Assistant.
1.1.6 Professional Certification: A document indicating mastery of or competency in specific knowledge, skills or processes that can be measured against a set of accepted standards, which are typically awarded through assessment and validation of skills in cooperation with a business, trade association or other industry group.
1.1.7 Professional Credentials: A document issued by a responsible and authorized body that attests that an individual has achieved specific experience relative to a given standard, including licenses, badges, and Professional Certifications.
1.1.8 Program: A prescribed set of Courses leading to a qualification, including a Certificate, Diploma (2 years), Advanced Diploma (3 years), Bachelor, Post Graduate Diploma, Master, or Doctorate, according to the Qatar National Qualifications Framework.
1.1.9 Qatar National Qualifications Framework (QNQF): A structured system that classifies and standardizes qualifications in Qatar based on knowledge, skill, and competency levels to ensure alignment between education, training, and workforce requirements, enhancing the quality, comparability, and recognition of qualifications both nationally and internationally.
1.1.10 Qualification: A certificate awarded to an individual by an authorized organization acknowledging that such an individual has successfully achieved the learning outcomes of the relevant qualification in terms of knowledge, skills, and competencies according to specific standards and evaluation instruments, as per the Qatar National Qualifications Framework.
1.1.11 Strategic Priority: An outcome-oriented, high-level aim to achieve the University’s mission.
1.1.12 University: University of Doha for Science and Technology established by Emiri Resolution No. 13 of 2022.
1.2 Where a word or phrase is given a particular meaning, other parts of speech and grammatical forms of that word or phrase have corresponding meanings.
1.3 Where the context requires, words importing the singular shall include the plural and vice-versa.
2.0 Policy Purpose
2.1 This policy outlines the requirements for the provision and verification of Academic Credentials at the University. The policy aims to ensure employment of competent Academic Members, qualified to achieve the Strategic Priorities of the University.
3.0 Policy Scope
3.1 This policy applies to:
3.1.1 Employment Candidates prior to entering an employment contract with the University.
3.1.2 All Academic Members at the University.
4.0 Policy Statements
4.1 Employment Candidates must provide evidence of all acquired Academic Credentials prior to entering an employment contract with the University.
4.2 Academic Members must meet the minimum Academic Credentials requirements mandated by the State of Qatar Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the University’s accreditation agencies, and regulatory bodies.
4.3 The Employment Candidate is responsible for submitting their Academic Credentials to verify that he or she holds the Qualifications and any other Professional Credentials and Certifications required for the position. Academic Credentials must be accompanied by original, official academic transcripts, released directly to the University by the awarding institution.
4.4 Any offer of employment to a prospective Academic Member must be made contingent on the verification of necessary Academic Credentials.
4.5 An Employment Candidate's failure to provide required documentation in a timely manner or falsification or misrepresentation of Academic Credentials will render the offer of employment null and void.
4.6 An Academic Member’s falsification or misrepresentation of Academic Credentials will render the employment contract null and void and, where applicable, subject the Academic Member to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
4.7 Specific Qualification requirements for Academic Members are outlined in the Academic Qualifications Policy (PL-AC-03).
4.8 Documentation of Academic Member Academic Credentials is updated periodically, as defined in the relevant procedures.
4.9 All Academic Credentials must be attested by the relevant authorities as prescribed in the relevant procedures.
5.0 Procedures
5.1 The Vice-President, Academics will ensure that procedures are developed for the execution of this policy and are implemented accordingly.
6.0 Related Documents
6.1 PL-AC-03: Academic Qualifications Policy.
6.2 PR-AC-02: Academic Credentials Procedure.